Genomes, as physical systems, comprise the complete set of nucleic acid molecules (typically DNA, or RNA in some viruses) that encode the hereditary information of an organism, including all chromosomes and extrachromosomal genetic elements. They are organized into linear or circular polymers of nucleotides, with specific higher-order structures such as chromatin in eukaryotes or nucleoid organization in prokaryotes. At the physical level, genomes exhibit defined sequence composition, length, and structural features (e.g., replication origins, regulatory regions, repetitive elements) that collectively determine their stability, replication dynamics, mutational patterns, and interactions with cellular molecular machinery.
Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have developed a tool that could significantly transform genome research: Helixer identifies genes directly from DNA sequences—without laboratory ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 26, 2026
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The power of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing has made it possible to design genetic sequences encoding for diverse biological applications, such as proteins that form the building blocks of materials stronger ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 26, 2026
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Understanding human gene function in living organisms has long been hampered by fundamental differences between species. Although mice share most protein-coding genes with humans, their regulatory landscapes often diverge, ...
Biotechnology
Jan 17, 2026
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Scientists can peer into cells to get a limited view of their activity using microscopes and other tools. However, cells and the molecular events within them are dynamic, and developmental processes, disease progression and ...
Genetic disorders occur due to alterations in the primary genetic material—deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)—of an organism.
Biotechnology
Jan 14, 2026
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A research team led by Zhiping Weng, Ph.D., and Jill Moore, Ph.D."18, at UMass Chan Medical School, has nearly tripled the known number of potential regulatory elements in the genome to 2.37 million, creating the most comprehensive ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 14, 2026
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There are hundreds of cell types in the human body, each with a specific role spelled out in their DNA. In theory, all it takes for cells to behave in desired ways—for example, getting them to produce a therapeutic molecule ...
Biotechnology
Jan 14, 2026
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Engineers at the University of California have developed a new data structure and compression technique that enables the field of pangenomics to handle unprecedented scales of genetic information. The team, led by UC San ...
Biotechnology
Jan 12, 2026
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The conservation of genome regulatory elements over long periods of evolution is not limited to vertebrates, as previously thought, but also in echinoderms (invertebrates). This is one of the most notable conclusions of a ...
Evolution
Jan 8, 2026
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Despite the immense amount of genetic material present in each cell, around 3 billion base pairs in humans, this material needs to be accurately divided in two and allocated in equal quantities. The centromere, located in ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 8, 2026
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